lighting options for a 45 gallon reef tank (please help)

[adamt]

Hi guys im new to the forum and was hoping you all could help me out.

first off here are the details:

45 gallon tank (kinda akward size but its what I have)
I'd like to do some zoo's/ mushrooms at the bottom
I'd really like some montipora higher up in the tank
along with some alveopora and similiar lps

I'm kinda low on cash at the momment so I'd like to use lighting i already have so here are my two options:
option 1- 2x96 watt 36" pc's 1- 10,000k 1-dual actinic

option 2- 4x21 watt regular t5's (2 actinics, 2 colormax full spec?) and 1x96w coralife pc in 10,000k

I think i would get better light output from option two although the wattage would be slightly less. I know pc's are old news but I had lps and anenomes unders pc's for years and they thrived lol it seems like now that theres something newer pc's suck all of a sudden.

option one would give me 192w with two bulbs
option two would give me 180w with 5 bulbs
either option would require the pc fixture(s) to be on legs in order to fit

plse help me out guys

 

[duke62]

if your going to go sps u may need more light.i have some sps in my 50 and i have 4x 39w t-5 with a 17w led strip.i have noticed in the week that i had the 3 sps 1 have shown some white tip growth.if you are thinking sps dominated i would think of something in that range or maybe 150 watt MH

 

[anthony27]

6 t5s 39 watts each. I have a tank full of sps my light is 6 inches off the tank

 

[DCG1286]

6 t5s 39 watts each. I have a tank full of sps my light is 6 inches off the tank

6 won't fit over the standard 45 ... you will end up wasting at least one of the bulbs ... 4 39W (36") T-5's should be sufficient for what you want to keep. I used to have a 45 A LONG time ago with that set up ... never had a problem keeping montis and such under T-5's.

Also, I saw the other thread (well the same thread as this one just in a different section) ... Watts per gallon rule is old fashioned ... and doesn't determine anything ... you can't compare 150W of T-5 to 150W of MH and definitely not compared to 150W PC.

 

[adamt]

hehe thanks for all the replies guys... heres the deal though. I already have two 96w pc's and two coralife 2x21w t5 fixtures. My question was if some combination of these lights would be adequate over my 45 for some alveopora and monti's. If I have to go out and buy lights then all that other stuff is a non issue cus ill grab some hqi's, prob is im recently engaged and its getting harder and harder to justify to my fiance spending money on lights when i havea closet full of them.

 

[James983]

I have kept Montis under PC lighting. They have to be very high however. The LPS no lower than middle. You will find many SPS turn brown when not given enough light. So you have to decide if you can live with shades of brown.

You could probably find a 4 bulb T5 setup on the For Sale forum for a reasonable price, which will allow you to keep most SPS.

 

[anthony27]

I have 6 bulbs over a 40 breeder they are 39 watts each and it is 39 inches